Awesome Ai

Engineers from Apple Computer created an experimental robot that looks like a desk lamp but can interact with people and its environment in playful ways. Clearly inspired by Pixar’s classic Luxo Jr., the upgraded Anglepoise lamp uses AI tech to aim its beam at a subject and even nudge around small objects. Read the original research paper on Arxiv.

Over the years, there have been plenty of fun hacks involving Big Mouth Billy Bass. gptars rigged up his animatronic fish to converse using OpenAI’s ChatGPT large language model. His talking bass can listen and respond quickly, and does it using a snarky attitude and voice inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

AI voice assistants are designed to speak in languages that humans can understand. In this video, two AIs discover they’re speaking with another of their kind, then switch into their own special language. Gibberlink allows AIs to skip unnecessary speech synthesis and recognition and communicate using beeps and bleeps like R2D2 or a dial-up modem.

The Robotics and AI Institute (RAI) shows of its Ultra Mobile Vehicle (UMV), an agile little 2-wheeler that can balance and drive autonomously. The AI-powered e-bike can perform jumps and other tricks thanks to reinforcement learning. We’d love to see these equipped with flamethrowers in a BattleBots-style competition.

None of the computers you’re about to see are real, but they do capture the essence of computer design over the decades. This animated short from evolution.hub0 uses AI tech to illustrate the evolution of personal computers from the 1970s through the 2020s and beyond. It’s far from accurate, but still a neat watch.

Artist Sy Goldstein uses generative AI tech to create wild and imaginative street scenes from 1980s and 1990s New York City. Created in collaboration with Lenski, The Last Head Shop envisions a wild time when The Big Apple’s head shops sold human skulls – at least until the mayor came through and cleaned up the city to make way for The Disney Store.

This modern LED desk lamp provides ambient light on a set of three nested rings. Each ring has an array of RGB lights that can change color, but what makes it really interesting is Lepro’s mobile app and LightGPM tech, which uses AI to design color schemes and effects based on voice prompts. Unbox Therapy explains how it works.

While there’s not a direct connection between The Fab Four and the Seattle grunge scene, this video helped us connect the dots. AlteredAnthems used generative AI tech to imagine what the entire Nevermind album had been produced by The Beatles in the psychedelic ’60s. Interestingly, both bands had a song with the words Something in the way.

You could have it all, my empire of dirt… in a one-horse open sleigh. There I Ruined It took Johnny Cash’s voice from his cover of Hurt, and set it to the tune of Jingle Bells. Trent Reznor’s lyrics are decidedly darker than those of the cheerful holiday classic, but we’re still adding this one to our Christmas playlist.

It takes good technology and clever prompt engineering to produce quality generative AI content. Director Simon Valentine, writer Erlend Loe, artist Edmond Yang, and editor Alex Holm used AI tech to make this short film about a death row inmate’s unexpected final wish. They created the entire stop-motion style film in less than 48 hours. (Thanks, Rob!)

Generating art with AI is a controversial subject for sure. But occasionally, we come across a work of AI art that’s too good to pass up. Starting with images by InkSlinger1983, AI artist Billary Squintin created this totally bonkers reimagining of Mad Max: Fury Road, where the entire cast has been replaced by Muppets. We would have titled it Mad Max: Furry Road.

AI tech has been used to make plenty of digital garbage. But in the hands of a skilled artist, generative AI can be used like other tools in a paintbox to produce something extraordinary. MetaPuppet’s dreamlike short film Mnemonade is one such example. The film follows an elderly woman piecing together the memories of her life as time ticks away. (Thanks, Rob!)

Proving you must crawl before you walk or run, AI Warehouse tasked a group of five AI agents with completing a 100-meter dash. Each was trained using Deep Reinforcement Learning to reward them for correct behaviors and punish them for incorrect ones. Eventually, they get their boxy butts off the line and wobble their way through the course.

(PG-13: Language) A group of outlaws attempts to pull off a heist while wearing the latest generation of digital mask technology. This low-budget short film by Glen Vivaris and team started as a modern take on Point Break, but the deepfake faces are only the tip of the AI iceberg in this thought-provoking and entertaining science fiction mini-movie.

(PG-13: Gore/Language) This AI-generated fan film by Mean Orange Cat pays tribute to Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi classic, Alien. Like the original, a spaceship’s crew investigates a mysterious signal, exposing them to a horrific and deadly species. They did a great job capturing the film’s spirit while adding a fun new spin with the animals. (Thanks, Rob!)

(PG-13: Language) “Prompt is like another word for idea. But it makes you sound cool.” Memeing metalhead Kmac2021 goes Max Headroom. He sarcastically promotes generative AI music creation tools, which take centuries of works and theory then decontextualizes them into presets and clicks. Soon, DJs will actually be doing nothing but dancing along with you.